For the Brave at Heart
by Miss Alison
Summary: Emery Marks is an American muggle-born who meets James S. Potter on the train to Hogwarts in first year. Much like Lily Evans "hated" the first James Potter, Emery "hates" the second one. However, it's Seventh Year and James S. Potter, Head Boy, is starting to find his way into her mind more than usual. How is this going to turn out for Emery?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone. I am new to this archive. I admit that I have not read a single James S. Potter/OC story at all. I swear to it, so if this seems copied from somebody, it's not. Well, I hope you enjoy this. Thanks! This story will start off with James' first train ride, but will automatically skip to his seventh year. This is supposed to bear strong relevance with Lily Evans and James Potter the first. **

**Disclaimer: I own practically nothing. I only own Emery Marks and other OCs.**

The hustle and bustle of Platform Nine and Three Quarters was very confusing. It was almost more confusing than the fact that there was a Platform Nine and Three Quarters at all. I always thought that witches and wizards were fables, until the fifteenth of May that year.

May was a very eventful time. It is always a bit confusing to move to a new town, let alone an entirely new continent. My parents were and are Muggle scientists, which means they move every few years for new discoveries. Moving from Portland, Oregon to Surrey was frustrating for an almost eleven-year-old.

Then I turned eleven on the fifteenth and everything changed. A man who went by the name of Professor Neville Longbottom appeared on my doorstep from what seemed like mid air. He told my parents all about the wizarding world and most importantly, Hogwarts. Professor Longbottom's words rang through my ears: "Your daughter, Emery Lucille Marks, is a witch." My parents laughed it off and made some comment about if the neighbors did this to everyone who moved in.

They didn't believe the man, but I did. I knew I could do things that other people couldn't. My parents simply thought I had a genetic disorder and kept me in special needs classrooms at school. Even to the special needs kids I was weird.

My red hair always seemed (and still seems) to be on fire, always. People would point and say rude things about my hair and my complexion (very fair and very freckled). I was always called "that weird Ginger girl." I didn't mind much though, because they weren't like me.

Professor Longbottom displayed a fantastic piece of magic and gave me a list of what I need for school. I thanked him over and over again. He smiled at me and said he would see me in Herbology (which I had no idea what that was at the time).

A week before September first, I set off for Diagon Alley. Everything was so dazzling and (for lack of a better word) magical. Right away vendors were pestering my family and I about their products. I went into different shops buying everything I felt that I needed with oddly named wizard money. My dad informed me that I was aloud to get a pet and bring it to school. As I was (and am) allergic to cats, I felt the need to get an owl (because frogs are disgusting).

I finally found the perfect owl after an hour of looking. The woman at the desk had said that I had a very keen eye for a good owl. I paid five "Galleons" for the beautiful, ash colored owl and went on my way. I named the owl "Minnie" in honor of my favorite cartoon character, Minnie Mouse.

Then there I was, walking into the great, red train with Minnie in a cage at my side. I was on the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Sudden fear washed over me, cold and dark. What if I wouldn't have any friends? I shook the thought away and searched for an empty seat in compartments.

There was a compartment of snobbish girls who seemed to automatically hate me just by the sight of me. A few boys shouted at me to get out of their compartment. Every single compartment I went in, someone told me I wasn't wanted. I finally found a compartment with just three boys sitting there that looked about my age.

"Excuse me, is there room for me in here?" I asked, rather shy for my personality. The boys looked at one another and for a fearful second I thought they were going to reject me, but one of the boys with messy black hair and brown eyes that were hidden behind round glasses nodded. "Thank you! Every compartment rejected me and I don't know anyone here!"

"Calm down, America, you're welcome here," the boy with the glasses said evenly. I had a feeling that I was going to regret sitting with this group. "I'm James. James Sirius Potter, perhaps you've heard of me. The famous son of the Boy Who Lived?"

I looked at him confused. "The Boy Who Lived? Well, you're a boy, and you're living, so does that make you the Boy Who Lived, also? Does that make me the Girl Who Lived?" James laughed, as did the other two boys.

"You're funny, America," James said. "Harry Potter is my dad. I suppose you're muggle-born." He said and looked at me expectantly.

"Muggle…born?"

"Non-magical beings. Yeah, you're definitely muggle-born. Unless American wizards have different sayings?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess I'm muggle-born." I said nervously.

"Aren't you going to tell us your name, America?" Another one of the boys in the compartment said. He had golden hair that was longer than James', but was much better kept.

"Oh, I'm Emery Marks. I just moved to Surrey in May, turns out I'm a witch. Go figure, right?" I wanted to just get out of the compartment. The boys' presence was a little overwhelming. I could feel each of their eyes on me.

"You're a funny one, aren't you, Marks?" James commented. The golden haired boy nodded. The other boy sitting next to me didn't look up from his book.

"What's your name?" I asked the boy next to me. He had short, light brown hair and grey eyes. He looked up at me and smiled. "Evan Longbottom." I gasped. "Is your dad Professor Longbottom?"

Evan set his book down on his lap to pay full attention to me. "Yes he is." Evan said proudly. "Dad did mention you. He said, 'Look out for an Emery Marks, she is a little nervous to go to Hogwarts.' That was the first time he has ever informed a muggle household that their child is a witch or wizard. He said it went very well."

The golden-haired boy coughed to get our attention. "Looks like Jamie is getting a little jealous that Ev is getting all the attention from the pretty new girl, aren't you Jamie?" I blushed from the compliment. James merely scowled at the golden-haired boy.

"I never got your name," I said to the golden-haired boy.

"Lysander Scamander. You'll see my twin brother Lorcan around; he's a giant prat. If you see him, ignore him, okay, America?" Lysander said smoothly. I couldn't deny that Lysander was handsome. His bright blue eyes seemed to betray his cool expression. "So America, which house do you want to be in?"

"House?"

"Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, you know, the Hogwarts Houses?" Evan said. I looked at them quizzically. James began describing each of the houses. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw seemed particularly pleasing. Hufflepuff seemed a bit lame and Slytherin seemed down right scary.

James talked about how he wanted to go Gryffindor, where the brave at heart dwell. Lysander said that he would prefer Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw would suit him just fine. "Gryffindor," Evan had said very plain.

"Well I suppose Gryffindor would be a good fit. Brave at heart? Well, I walked into a compartment full of boys and sat down without running away. That's a start."

After a long while of James, Lysander, and Evan telling me everything they know about the wizarding world, the train halted. First years, as we were called, were ushered to a large lake where a very large man named Hagrid waited. We were all placed in boats and were finally at the great Hogwarts. Hogwarts seemed to gleam with haughty pride.

The rest of the night seemed to be a blur. James, Lysander, Evan, and I were all sorted into Gryffindor. I met the girls that would be sharing a dorm with me. Charlotte Lee (related to Cho Chang, she said), Sloane Carpenter, Lucy Weasley (James' cousin), Ava Beauregard, Cassandra (Cassie) Macmillan, and Eloise McDermott were my roommates.

After a large and considerably magical feast, the headmistress, Professor Sinistra, announced that the students were to go to their respective common rooms. Teddy Lupin, who seemed to know James, Evan, and Lysander quite well, showed us to the Gryffindor Common Room. The room was gold and red with the Gryffindor emblem popping up every so often.

After everything that day, I knew that Hogwarts was where I belong.

**Yay! Now, I worked very hard on writing this, and I know it isn't great, but I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will start with Emery and everyone on the train in Seventh Year. I hope to get it up as soon as possible! Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! I have returned. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You guys are so great and I hope you stay tuned for the rest of the story! To any new comers, hi, I hope you enjoy For the Brave at Heart!**

**Disclaimer: Do I seem like I'm J.K. Rowling? I didn't think so.**

Demy fusses with my hair and keeps checking my make-up. After a few minutes she stops and smiles. My sister and I have always been so close. Even though her hair is brown and her eyes are blue, we feel like twins. Demy is twenty-two, and I am seventeen. We used to be as close as this to our older brother, until my Hogwarts letter came.

Aaron was immediately jealous of my talent when he learned that it was actually more than magic tricks. He has always been obsessed with the idea of magic, even before the letter. When we were younger, he would always say that he was a wizard and came up with obnoxious "spells." When we learned that I was a witch, he shut me out completely. Demy tried to talk sense into him, but he didn't want to talk to his "freak" sister.

I haven't seen Aaron for three years.

Demy notices the frown on my face that I usually acquire when I think about all the horrible things Aaron has said about me. She smiles sadly and fixes my hair again. "Don't worry about Aaron. He's a jerk anyway."

"Who said that I was worrying about Aaron? Who's to say that I wasn't worrying about-" I am about to finish my sentence, but Demy cuts me off.

"James Potter?" Demy says teasingly, knowing that I cannot stand Potter. James Sirius Potter is the most thick-skulled, annoying jerk ever to walk the face of the Earth. No exaggeration…well maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but not a lot. All he does is tease me and prank me and does not even bother to call me by my name. He always calls me America or Marks. I've never heard a "Good morning, Emery" from him, ever.

I straighten up and fix my Muggle skirt. "I should get going. Love you, Dem." I say and disappear into Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Almost automatically I am surrounded by the loudness of the platform. I cut through groups of wizard families until I find Charlotte with her mom, Cho.

"Em!" Charlotte screams, making Cho cover her ears, laughing. I engulf Charlotte in a hug and she starts telling me every detail of her summer very fast.

"How about you girls go into the train, wouldn't want to miss it," Cho says sweetly. She gives me a small hug and Charlotte and I wave good-bye to her and enter the train.

As soon as we enter the train, friends and peers bombard us. Several people notice the gleaming 'Head Girl' badge clinging to my Muggle cardigan. Mae Hemmingway (a sixth year Hufflepuff) says something about how she absolutely knew I was going to be Head Girl. A particularly friendly Slytherin, Ella McCoy, says that she isn't surprised at all that I got it. In all, I'm flattered at how many people know and like me. It's almost like being popular.

All I can do now is think about who will be Head Boy. I hope it will be Evan, who shared Prefect duties with me since Fifth Year, but Sinistra has been known for taking chances on those many wouldn't expect to be a Head. I can just imagine James being Head boy, ruining the whole year for me. However, even Sinistra wouldn't take that chance.

"Emery!" A small voice calls from a compartment. I instantly see Lily Potter's light red hair. The petite Fourth Year waves her hands enthusiastically, beckoning me to our regular compartment. I drag Charlotte with me, and in a few seconds Evan, James, Al, Lily, Rose, Lysander, and (obviously) Charlotte surround me. Lily and Rose immediately start to tell me about how I was the only thing James talked about all summer. Al laughs and adds a few details, and James protests lamely. Lysander makes a fleeting comment about James always mentioning me in letters, and Evan remains silent.

Then I notice it. An almost identical badge with one word changed on it, 'Boy.' It clings to his t-shirt just like it clings to my cardigan. I can't believe what I am seeing. James S. Potter, Head Boy? Impossible! Evan must have lent the badge to him as a joke.

"Potter, where did you get that badge?" I snap at him. He grins mischievously and puts his arm around my shoulders. I look up at him and scowl. He is around six foot and two inches, whereas I am a meek five foot-four inches. His brown-hazel eyes laugh and taunt me.

"Now, now, Marks! No need to snap at me. I earned this badge all by myself. Looks like we will be spending a lot of time together. That isn't a problem, is it? I look forward to it. I mean, admit it. You are in love with me!" He says tauntingly. "Why else would I still have my arm around you?"

"You're a prick, Potter!" I shout at him and draw my wand. "Better watch yourself, Potter. You very well know that Americans have short tempers, and mine isn't getting any better." James raised his hands in surrender.

With that I walk out to go to the Prefects' compartment and direct the Prefects. In a minute or two, I sense James catching up with me. Sure enough, James is standing next to me in a matter of seconds. I roll my eyes and twiddle my wand in my hands.

"That's a really nice wand, can you tell my more about it?" James says sincerely.

"Ten inches, ebony, unicorn hair core, swishy," I say flatly. James smiles and pulls out his wand.

"Eleven and one-fourth inches, maple, unicorn hair core, pliable," He says happily. He stops and looks at me expectantly. I stop and take in his expression. James's eyes are more of a golden color now and his glasses are beginning to fall off his nose. Without thinking, I reach up and fix his glasses for him. Now his expectant look turns to slight shock. His hand flies to his messy black hair (a trait that comes from his grandfather, along with most of his other traits, he told me once).

I look away from him and begin walking to the Prefect compartment, but he doesn't move. "Aren't you coming with, Potter?" I say teasingly, without turning my head. I smirk to myself and turn into the Prefect compartment.

"Hey guys, so this is what's going to happen-," I explain who will be doing what, and the importance of Prefect duties. I can already tell that this will be the best year by far, even if I have to put up with James every day.

**Thanks for reading, and sorry I took so long to update! Review and tell me what you think! Thank you guys for being so awesome!**


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